Water sled or surf board



July 18, 1933. 1,918,508

W. L. WHEELER WATER SLED OR SURF BOARD Filed Jan. 21. 1932 JJVVENTUR WL- PWVE'E'LER Fatented July 1-3, 1233 'lJNETE-EE STA'EE WILLIAM L. VVHEELER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA R AT'ER SLED QR SURF BOARD Application :fi led January 21, 1932.

This invention relatesto improvements in water sleds .or surf boards.

An object of the invention is to providea device which can be used as a water sled, or

5 as a surf board, or which may have other analogous uses such as a float, life raft, boat, or thelike, which is of simple durable construction and which hasla buoying air tight compartment on its under side adjacent the forward end.

More specifically an object of the invention is to provide a board similar in size to a conventional surf board with an air tight compartment adjacent its forward end which is adequately reinforced by a simple novel reinforcing construction. By the improved construction the device is nonsinkable and has the further advantage that when the construction is used asasurf board or in aquaplaning that the chamber prevents diving or nosing of the board beneath the surface. The device is also useful in surf riding in that the chamber forms a sort of impeller beneath the board to catch the surf and to cause the board to be propelled by the breaker.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,'which will be made manifest in the following. detailed description and specifically .pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawing for an illustrativev embodiment of the invention,

wherein: i

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved water sled or surfboard.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section takensubstantially upon the line 22 upon Figure 1 Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken upon the line 33 upon Figure 1.

F ig. 4 is a perspective view of the reinforcing construction. Fig. .5 is a. perspective view of the shell forming the air tightchamber.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference characters designa-te similar parts throughout, the improved water sled or surf board comprises a flat board 10 of suitable size corresponding generally to the size of the conventional surf board or board used for aquaplaning. On

. 59 theunder side of the board adj acent its for- Serial No. 587,950.

ward end there is formed an .air tight chambar. This is formed of sheet metal and has a top 11 provided with flanges 12,.a vertical rear wall 13, sides 14, and a front wall which slopes or is curved u wardly or forwardly as indicated at 15. he flanges 12 serve as means for securing this chamber to the under side of the surf board and suitable nails or screws, not shown, are driven through these flanges into the under side of the board. his metal. chamber is suitably reinforced by longi tudinally extending reinforcing pieces 16 shown in Figure l as being three in number having a vertical rear edge and curved forward edges. These reinforcements are spaced from each other by spacing members 17 and may be covered at their bottom and forward edges with suitable sheathing 18. The reinforcement fits snugly within the shell, the vertical rear edges abutting against the rear wall 13 at the sides and center. In this manner the metal shell is adequately reinforced, this being important when it is considered :that frequently a surf board carries the rider until the bottom of the board encounters the beach. By thus strengthening the shell against collapse,leaks in the shell are effectively prevented. The rear of the chamber thus provided terminates at-a point forwardly of the center of the board and preferably about one-third the length of the board from the forward edge so that the buoyant effect of the air tight chamber on the under side'of the board Will be mainly effective on the extreme forward end of the board. The chamber is braced in position by suitable side braces 19 in the form of triangular imperforate wooden pieces positioned 19 define pockets against the rear wall 13 so that as an incoming breaker tends to rush beneath the boardg-the vertical rear wall 13 serves as an impeller obstructing this rush of water and causing the board to be picked up and carried shoreward by the breaker. It is not essential that the keel board 20 and the side braces 19 be present although these parts are preferable. The vertical rear wall 13 is capable of acting as an impeller without these pieces being present.

At the forward end of the board 10 there is an aperture 21 through which a rope can be passed in the event that the device is used for aquaplaning, the rope constitutin a tow rope. Also this aperture may constitute a socket for the mast of a small sail, not shown, in the event that the device is to be used as a sailed raft or sled when used on quiet waters such as lakes.

When the device is used as an aquaplane or as a surf board, the air tight chamber beneath the front end of the board exerts its greatest buoying effect at this end with the result that it is virtually impossible for the board to nose or dive beneath the surface. The improved board is virtually unsinkable because of the air tight chamber and because of the presence of the vertical Wall 13 the board can be very quickly brought up to the speed of an incoming breaker. When used on quiet waters such as lakes the device may be used as a raft which is unsinklable, or by inserting a mast or a small sail it can be used as a sailed boat.

From the above described construction it.

will be appreciated that a novel, simple, advantageous water sled or surf board has been provided.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a board, means providing an air tight chamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward'end extending substantially the complete width of the board and from a point very close to the forward edge of the board rearwardly for a distance equal to about one-third of the length of the board, said means serving not only to buoy up the forward end of the board but also as an impeller for impelling the board when used in surf riding.

2. water sled, surf board or the like comprising a board, means providing an air tight chamber on the under side of the board ad acent its forward end ext-ending substantially the complete width of the board and from a point very close to the forward edge of the board rearwardly for a distance equal to about one-third of the length of the board, said means serving not only to buoy up the forward end of the board but also as an impeller for impelling the board when used in surf riding, and reinforcing means reinforcing the interior of the chamber.

3. A watersled, surf board or the like comprising a board, means providing an air tight chamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward end, said means serving not only to buoy up the forward end of the board but also as an impeller for impelling the board when used in surf riding, and braces extending rearwardly from the sides of the chamber bracing the chamber and defining the sides of a pocket on its rear side.

4. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a board, means providing an air tight chamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward end, said means serving not only to buoy up the forward end of the board but also as an impeller for impelling the board when used in surf riding, and .a keel board extending rearwardly from about the center of the chamber bracing the chamber and forming a keel for the board.

5. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a flat board, and means providing a b'i'ioyantchamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward end comprising a metal shell having an upright rear wall located at about one-third of the length of the board from its forward end and an upwardly curved forward wall terminating adjacent the forward edge of the board.

6. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a flat board, and means providing a buoyant chamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward end comprising a metal shell having an upright rear wall and an upwardly curved forward wall terminating adjacent the forward edge of the board, the rear wall being disposed forwardly of the middle of the board.

7. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a flat board, means providing a buoyant chamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward end comprising a metal shell having an upright rear wall and an upwardly curved forward wall terminating adjacent the forward edge of the board, and longitudinally extending reinforcements in the shell having upright rear edges and upwardly curved forward edges.

8. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a flat board, means providing a buoyant chamber on. the under side of the board adjacent its forward end comprising a metal shell having an upright rear wall and an upwardly curved forward wall terminating adjacent the forward edge of the board, longitudinally extending reinforcements 1n the shell having upright rear edges and upwardly curved forward edges, and interior braces spacing the reinforcements in the shell.

, 9. A water sled, surf board or the like comprising a fiat board, means providing a tight chamber on the under side of the board adjacent its forward end, said chamber presenting an upright rear wall extending downwardly from the under surface of the board and located at about one-third the length of the board from its forward end so that the chamber serves not only to buoy up the forward end of the board but also as an impeller for impelling the board when used in surf ridin WM. L. WHEELER. 

